Lost and Found (Masters & Mercenaries: The Forgotten #2)(17)

River nodded. “Yep. I hope the boys can keep up with me. Just waiting on Jax. He ran upstairs to grab the bags. It does not pay to forget the bags because Buster here likes to poop. Don’t you, boy?”

Buster got up and did a doggy dance, as though anything River said was the best thing in the world and he agreed.

No one looked at her like that, with total unconditional love. They either obsequiously kissed her ass because she could get their research funded or hated her because she hadn’t funded their research. The dog thing could work. Not that she had a ton of time to take said beloved dog on walks.

Maybe the escort on speed dial could also be a dog walker.

“Hey, babe,” a deep voice said. “Got ’em. You ready for a run?”

Of course no one had ever looked at her the way Jax looked at River either. Like she was the sun in the sky. Like the world had been dark before he’d met her.

She probably wouldn’t get that from her fantasy escort.

“I am.” River held her face up so her incredibly tall husband could drop a kiss on her lips.

He looked over as Becca got to her feet again. “Hey, how’s it going? Looks like we’re getting some new neighbors. Someone’s moving in down the hall.”

The rental agency had been quick. Only two days before, the Holders had moved out. From what she’d heard, the wife was pregnant and they were buying a place in the suburbs so they had more room.

She hoped the new guys weren’t partiers. “University kids?”

Jax shrugged. “Nah, they’re actual adults. Seem nice. Buster, get off that couch. They’ll love us though since we’ve already given them the gift of dog hair.”

River grinned and leaned in. “It gets everywhere. You get used to it. Hey, I meant to come by and see you. We’re having a party Saturday night with a couple of friends of ours. A housewarming thing. This is our first real place since we got married. We were living in Jax’s sarcastic uncle’s basement for a couple of months before he got the job up here.”

Jax shook his head, his relief apparent. “My uncle has three kids and is working on a fourth. Those kids are seriously going to be the reason for the next world war. I swear.”

“That’s why they’re building an army,” River agreed. “I love it here. It’s so quiet, and no one has tried to burn the place down or practiced archery in a crazy, dangerous way. It’s peaceful. We’re never having kids. Only dogs. Lots of dogs.”

“I would argue but I saw Kenzie modify a Nerf gun, and I’m pretty sure it’s lethal now,” Jax replied. “Buster can’t make weapons. Well, he sometimes gets gas, and that’s pretty powerful.”

River lightly slapped her husband across his abs. “Whose fault is that? You’re the one who sneaks him treats all the time. Dogs aren’t supposed to eat Twinkies. For that matter, humans shouldn’t either.” Jax laughed, but River glanced back at Becca. “Like I said, we’re having a party and we would love for you to come.”

A party? With people? And food she didn’t order from a restaurant or microwave? “I’m totally in. I’m starting this new thing where I have a life outside of work. It’s weird. There’s this whole world and it’s not in the Huisman building. I’ve heard there are people out here who don’t care about neuroscience.”

Jax chuckled at that one. “Yes, and if you come over Saturday, you’ll meet a couple of them.”

River shoved the small container of bags in her jacket. “It starts at six and we’re having dinner. I say it’s a party but it’s only about six people. You would be seven. I’m making an insane amount of lasagna, so even if you only stop by for a bite, you would be more than welcome. We had a great group of friends back in Texas. We would love to have that here, too.”

A group of friends. She had a group of coworkers, most of whom thought she was intimidating. Or awkward. The good news was she’d heard weird was the new chic. She’d seen it in a magazine on Cathy’s desk and everything. Melissa kept telling her that one day she would find a man who could appreciate her unique sense of humor.

She hadn’t found him yet. Not even close.

“I’ll be there.” It would be an excellent way to begin this new phase of her life. She would probably be the only singleton there, and that was fairly safe. Then she would go out with Cathy’s lawyer friend, and hopefully he was superhot and watched Marvel movies and was good at no-commitment sex.

She waved good-bye to her new friends and walked into the bistro without looking back. Her dinner was in a bag and already paid for. All she had to do was pick it up and sign the bill, leaving a nice tip because they always had dinner waiting for her. Like clockwork. Everything running smoothly. Nothing out of place.

Her whole evening was spread out in front of her. The rest of her life, when she thought about it. She got up, showered, ate oatmeal and drank one cup of coffee, went to work, ate lunch when Cathy put it in front of her, came home, picked up her daily dinner and stared at a screen until she passed out.

Would going to the party Saturday night make a difference? She was stuck. It had been a good idea to put her head down and give herself some space, but she was caught in a routine, utterly stuck in a place she’d sworn she wouldn’t be again.

She’d promised her mother that she would be happy. She wasn’t.